Advent-ure 2020 December 22: Lion of Judah (Faithful As We Fight)

We have the power that originates from Christ, our strong and mighty Lion of Judah, the Savior who defeated sin and death and who has made us more the conquerors, to walk in victory in this life and to exemplify the presence of Christ in us. Proverbs 28 says:
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; But by a man of understanding and knowledge Right will be prolonged.

That is certainly who I want to be as a child of God and servant of the Most High.  We can have boldness in the Lord to face the challenges in this life. He is the One who goes before us and is faithful to us in the battles we fight.  We can certainly fight the good fight as we rely on Christ our strength. The effective, productive Christian life is not lived through human power or ingenuity, but through reliance on our source of true strength.

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In Revelation chapter 5, we can experience another name of Jesus, as we continue to walk through our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure entitled, "Call His Name," the Faith Radio Advent Guide. In that chapter, the apostle John is writing about a heavenly scene: there is a scroll on the right hand of the throne of God, sealed with seven seals, but there was a problem - apparently, no one could open them. John writes:
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

The heavenly scene erupted in worship as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world, took the scroll. We read on...
9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

This is an awesome display of the might and majesty of our Great King - Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, born into the tribe of Judah, in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the One who is able to unlock wisdom for us personally today.

In the Faith Radio listening area, we know that there are thousands of those who serve in our military who are based in the region.  Some will not be spending Christmas with their families.  There was a piece that ran on The Christian Post website that provides a reminder of their faithful service, as well as their challenges.  Gordon Groseclose and Margi McCombs, described as "a former Military chaplain and trauma healing specialist," write:

This December, millions of Americans will read and celebrate the story of Jesus's birth and experience the peace and hope that comes from this Scripture. But oftentimes for Service members, Veterans, and Military families, the holidays bring feelings of grief, social isolation, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. This is why, this holiday season, we have to consider not just the Bible’s stories of celebration, but also its stories of healing and comfort – and how we can get these stories into the hands of the people who need them most.

They go on to say:

Through our research at American Bible Society, we’ve found that frequency of Bible reading is correlated with a number of positive benefits, including feelings of hope, peace, and trust in God’s plan. Scripture can give Military members the foundation they need to face adversity and isolation with the gifts of hope and peace.

And, they referred to a survey conducted by the Society and the Barna Group, which "found that four in five Military members did not have a Bible when they entered the Military; but of those who received one during their service, 89% kept it. The survey also found that one-third of Service members and Veterans read the Bible at least once a week, with a particular interest in what the Bible says about pain, suffering, hopelessness and loneliness."

The families of these warriors encounter special challenges; the authors write that "Military families are incredibly resilient but are often overlooked during discussions of Military-related trauma...Some studies indicate that up to 30% of Military children will have difficulties during a parent’s deployment that include depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol use, or a decrease in academic performance."

The American Bible Society is involved in not only getting God's Word to those who serve, as it has been doing for over 200 years, but through its Armed Services Ministry and Trauma Healing Institute, helping these warriors to discover more about the application of the Word to their lives. 

The authors close by saying:

This holiday, we encourage Americans to support our Military by inviting Military families to virtual church services; praying for them; checking in on them, dropping off meals for them and extending other gestures of friendship; and supporting Scripture-related initiatives that serve the Military community with the hope of Jesus. As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let’s also remember the goals of his ministry. As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let’s share the joy of knowing him with those who have and continue to serve in uniform.

Those who serve our country live a different sort of life, and we can take time to honor those who are committed to defending our great nation and our freedoms.  They need to be strong for us, and it is important to support them, so that, if they haven't already, they can discover the One who is strong for them - the Lion of Judah, who is our mighty warrior.

For each of us, we can recognize that when we are weak, we can know the source of strength.  He can unlock the treasures of Godly wisdom and knowledge; He will teach us His Word so that we might live boldly for Him.  Christ, our Lion of Judah, who is full of majesty and power, will empower us to bring glory to Him.

The heavenly image from Revelation 5 reminds us of the power of the Lion of Judah and the presence of the Lamb of God, seated on the throne.  We have the invitation to come before Him even now - we are unworthy to stand before His presence, but clothed in His righteousness, we can certainly bow before the throne of God.